Every once in a while, a movie comes around that rewrites the rule book. For this generation of martial arts cinema, “The Furious” is exactly that movie. It’s a true pan-Asian movie, with a Japanese director, a Hong Kong crew, and lead actors from Indonesia (Joe Taslim) and China (Xie Miao), with the production shooting on location in Thailand.
Xie Miao stars as a man whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers. Meanwhile, Joe Taslim plays a reporter whose wife goes missing while investigating these vile criminals. The two men find themselves on a crash course with destiny as they resolve to fight anyone and everyone who stands in their way.
More News: Video Interview: ‘We Are Pat’ Director Rowan Haber and SNL’s Julia Sweeney
More News: Talkin “Sound System” With Five-Fret Vets Marcus Henderson And Lennon Lange
While the story may not break any barriers, it earns points for putting the focus squarely on its leading men, who have more than enough charisma to carry the viewer from fight to fight. And its those fights where “The Furious” truly shines. The film features martial arts action unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, with each battle pushing the genre into brand new directions, and its actors displaying physical prowess that needs to be seen to be believed.
I had the opportunity to chat with director Kenji Tanigaki about his work on the film and his broader career. He talks about being a Hong Kong fanboy and the huge risk he took in moving from Japan to HK in order to pursue his filmmaking ambition. He also talks about the difference between working in Hong Kong vs Hollywood. If his name sounds familiar, you might be familiar with his work as stunt coordinator on movies like “Blade II” or second unit director on high-octane action films like “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.” Coming up, he’s even set to work on the video game, “Phantom Blade Zero.”
Check out our complete conversation below, and be sure to watch “The Furious,” only in theaters now.
Read the full article here
